Technology Vocabulary

Diskette ("floppy disk"): A removable disk that stores data and can be used with PCs. The term usually refers to a rigid plastic cartridge measuring 3.5 inches square. Some older computers provide drives for diskettes that are 5.25 inches square with a flexible housing. These were often called "floppy disks," and even though the new type of diskette is more rigid, many people still call it a "floppy."

E-mail: Electronic mail – an Internet feature that allows the user to send and receive messages over the Internet to and from any other e-mail address in the world.

Gigabyte ("gig" or GB) and megabyte ("meg" or MB): Units of measurement of computer memory and storage.

Hard drive: Where files and programs are stored in a stand-alone computer, as opposed to a diskette, which is removable and transportable.

Hardware: Any part of the computer that can be physically touched. Printers, keyboards, monitors, and the computer itself are all hardware.

Listserv: A program that automatically distributes e-mail to names on a mailing list. Users can subscribe to a listserv mailing list by sending an e-mail note to a mailing list they learn about; listserv will automatically add the name and distribute future e-mail postings to every subscriber.

Modem: Allows the computer to access the Internet or other computers via telephone lines. Modems are categorized by speed; for example, a model with a speed of 28.8 bps can transfer 28.8 kilobytes of data per second. Modems are located either inside or outside the computer.

Operating system: Manages all the programs, or applications, in a computer. Microsoft's Windows 98 and IBM's OS/ 2 are operating systems.

Random access memory (RAM): A temporary memory area where programs and files are loaded while they are being used. To save the information in RAM, it must be transferred to a hard drive or diskette.

Search engines: A program that allows a user to search for specific Web sites on the Internet by subject.

Software: Programs that allow you to make use of the computer. There are many kinds of software available for such activities as word processing, database management, desktop publishing, and educational games and experiences.

Uniform resource locator (URL): A Web site's address. Any information available on-line can be located by its URL. To pull up a specific Web site, type in the URL; for example, Head Start's URL is http://www2.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb. All Web site addresses begin with "http://"; for brevity, it is often omitted in listings of URLs.

World Wide Web (or "the Web"): A network of computers known as Web servers that holds information and Web sites. Anyone can access the Web using Internet browser software (e. g., Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer).